David Sacks, Rochelle Wolberg and Brian McClatchy. PHOTO BY MARY SCHENKEL

Invited guests enjoyed a lovely evening reception at McKee Botanical Garden to celebrate the completion of its 20th Anniversary horticulture revitalization project and tour the enhancements.

“The project was conceived in late 2019 and it officially commenced in 2021, which was a milestone year for us,” said Rochelle Wolberg, executive director.

“That year the garden was celebrating its 20th anniversary of being reopened to the public.

By that time, it had already been recognized by the Garden Conservancy as a preservation project of significance.”

Thanks to meaningful support from members of the Gatekeepers of the Garden, the McKee Sexton Society and others, she said the unique tropical garden, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has added enriched experiences for an ever-increasing number of visitors.

Introducing historical landscape architect David Sacks, Wolberg said he first visited what was then McKee Jungle Garden in 1994. He met with the Save McKee Committee, which had saved the space from being bulldozed for development, to create a conceptual site plan for their fundraising campaign.

“He crafted our original master plan in 1997. He also drafted the garden intent in 2007 and 2008,” said Wolberg.

Sacks, who admitted that McKee was his “personal favorite project,” showed a PowerPoint presentation with fascinating slides on the history of the garden and the many changes made over the years.

His talk – Early Days and New Beginnings: McKee Inspirations – was an extensive look at the original 1932 design ideas of founders Waldo Sexton and Arthur McKee, and landscape architect William Lyman Phillips for the 83-acre McKee Jungle Garden; the work that began in the 1990s for today’s 18-acre McKee Botanical Garden; and the recently completed revitalization.

Sacks stressed that changes to programming and improvements should always stay true to an organization’s mission, which for McKee is “to nurture and enhance an historic garden in a unique tropical setting for the education, enjoyment and enrichment of all.”

Sacks said Sexton and McKee had been ahead of their time, using native plants, water lilies and orchids as the backbone of the garden, overlaying them with ornamental features. They took advantage of the character of the property with vegetation focal points, contrasting areas of shade and light, and accentuating the natural environment.

In addition to horticultural enrichments, the revitalization included creating a patio gathering space at the south end of the Royal Palm Grove, with its interactive Garden Kaleidoscope art piece. Another open space was created by the now more noticeable waterfall, and the Banyan Trail and Live Oak Path were reworked into one loop.

Additionally, Miami eco-artist Xavier Cortada was commissioned to create a series of colorful ceramic tile murals, flower constellations, and sculptures meant to evoke feelings of “love, joy and reverence.”

Going forward, Sack encouraged continued success in balancing stewardship of the garden with a commitment to provide people with education, enjoyment and enrichment, and “just continuing to knock their socks off.”

For more information, visit MckeeGarden.org.

Photos by Mary Schenkel